When we all first got into the wellness field, it was to reach and touch more people. It was to bring holistic healthcare options to the same stage as Western medicine and to make it more accessible. But…

You’re struggling to make a living in your business!

This is what I’m so passionate about. We CAN NOT have wellness practitioners leaving the industry because they can’t make a successful living. No money in their checking account and wondering what in the hell they are going to do next. That will not help elevate this wonderful industry!

So today I want to talk about the fact that your client close rate should be triple what it actually is today. All you need to do is follow 5 Steps to Open and Close New Clients with a conversation. That’s it!

My old career was in sales and finance. Oh ya, super sexy! I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh… is this going to be my life?” If you don’t know anything about working as a financial analyst, your day is pretty much spreadsheets and databases, along with phone calls you don’t want to receive. You pull all nighters at the end of the quarter and at the end of the year and it’s just not very glamorous.

Literally… the FIRST opportunity I had to jump ship, I said “Hell Yes”! Which led me to sales. And I was green. No experience, nada. But I’ve come along way!

The whole point of this little story is to say it was an adventure. There were ups and downs and learning curves, but not it’s for your benefit, because I can save you so much time!

I can get you over the hurdle of learning how to do this in the next 10 minutes, not the next 10 years!

Sales is about people. Relationships. It’s about matching what you have to offer with a person that needs it. It’s showing them how you can take them from point A to point B. That’s it!

When I was in sales in the corporate world, before meeting with a client or a prospect, I would PREPARE! But when I started my acupuncture clinic, all of those sales skills I had learned totally escaped me. I would just start showing up and throwing up!

You know what I mean. You meet with a potential client and you just start vomiting words all over them. You’re not prepared and soon they are looking at you like a deer in the headlights.

Soon, I got smart. I start thinking about what the foundations for sales were again. I thought about how I could be much more effective for my business and start making money.

If this was a struggle for me, I know it’s a struggle for you. And I see it happening day after day, week after week, with my clients.

I recently had a client tell me straight up that she’s struggled with these conversations when she is trying to talk to people about her business. She has felt unprepared and feels that she just starts saying too much. She gives them all kinds of info, but knows that she’s totally overwhelming people and fumbling all over her words. Nothing is coming out gracefully.

And than she’d get a polite, “No, thank you” and would walk away from the conversation without a clear next step.

This is where that formula comes into play, in order to open and close the conversation and get that next sale. If you’re prepared, everything is going to change for you!

YOU ARE SELLING!

I know what you’re thinking. You don’t want to be “salesy”. You don’t want to be pushy. But there is a way you can do this that won’t feel icky, pushy or sleazy, but I’m going to give you some tough love on how to get there.

You chose to be in business for yourself.

Let me run down these 5 Steps to Open and Close New Clients to triple your close rate:

Focus on them, not you!

No more showing up and throwing up. It’s about having a conversation where you’re asking them questions. Dive in! Understand what they’re struggling with and what they truly desire. Ask questions and it will earn trust.

Determine if they are a fit for you.

Not everyone is going to be your ideal client and that’s OK! Turn those people away. As you’re talking to them, you want to assess if it’s somebody you can help. If you don’t know the answer to that, keep asking the them questions, than decide.

Assuming they are a good fit for you, tell them how you can help them.

Talk with them about the journey you’re going to take them on! How you are going to move them from Point A to Point B and what your role will be during that process. Tell them how you’ll support them!

Answer their Questions

They may have some questions about tactics, along with additional questions that you haven’t discussed. Make sure to give them the opportunity to ask their questions!

Close the Sale or Clearly Identify a Next Step

They might say, “Great, I’ve got all the info, how much does it cost.” You say, “It’s $5,000. What form of payment works best for you and let’s get a start date on the calendar!” You literally move in to close the sale.

Or, they say, “Great, I have all the info I need and understand the cost. I’d love to work together but I need a few days to think it over.” You say, “Perfect, let’s get our calendars out and schedule a follow-up chat, so we have the time planned to answer additional questions that come up for you.

A HELL YES or a no. But do NOT walk away from this conversation without a clear next step!

This is the formula that is going to use to improve your client close rate. You can literally triple it and all you need to do is follow this formula to open and close the conversation.